


Crazy Train

by FlameWolf



Series: Crooked Hearts [2]
Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Batman (The Dark Knight)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Dark relationship, F/M, Mental Illness, Self-Mutilation, Some Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 10:03:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13385505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlameWolf/pseuds/FlameWolf
Summary: Not willing to allow Joker to take over her life, Alicia forces a compromise.  A compromise that leaves them both worse for the wear.





	Crazy Train

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own anyone or anything from any Batman franchise. This is just for fun and no profit will be made from this.
> 
> Author’s Note: Alicia is a bit more headstrong and stubborn than Joker is used to. Then again, maybe that’s just what he likes the most about her.

Staring at all the familiar furniture downstairs, Alicia felt a very dangerous sense of violation begin to fill her.  While she knew exactly who she was dealing with, that didn’t stop her from being angry he had ignored everything she had told him just last night.  Clenching her hands into tight fists, she stalked down the stairs; blatantly ignoring the ‘directions’ he had given her earlier.  While she would have been perfectly obedient every other time, this was different!  In no way was sho okay with being dragged further into his dangerous lifestyle!  She had a hard enough time staying safe as it was.  She didn’t need the added pressure of being tied to the most infamous crime boss in Gotham!

It was bad enough he was making her do things for him under the table.  Like signing off on all manner of shady deals.  Everything he did now went through her first, making her feel more than a little bit like a scumbag.  A lot of the plans he pushed across her ‘desk’ had been downright evil and she had yet to try to warn anyone about them.  Still, putting her life on the line was not in her job description and she would certainly be doing just that if she dared to betray Joker.  Not to mention just how hard she was falling for this murderous clown.  So, with a rather fierce expression on her face, she made her way to the man lounging on the couch.  The man who had turned her entire world upside down.

Quirking a brow when he saw his bird stomping toward him, he was honestly surprised to find he wasn’t angry in the slightest.  In fact, he was downright pleased she was coming toward him to give him a piece of her mind.  He’d never had a woman brave enough to do that yet.  So far, they were all so scared of him that they just did as he told them without question. Since he had met Caps, he’d figured out that was incredibly boring.  What kind of agent of chaos could he really call himself if he enjoyed predictability?  This was much more fun, especially when she had the fire to reach out and grab the lapels of his felt, purple jacket.  “You’d better explain just why all the shit from my apartment is in this warehouse?” she spat, the utter fury in her voice drawing out a laugh.

Frowning when insane laughter spewed from the mass killer, Alicia couldn’t help but shake him; forgetting for the moment just who she was dealing with.  Next thing she knew, their positions were reversed; the clown above her while her back was pressed into the couch.  Smiling in a rather dangerous manner, he settled a gloved hand on her throat.  “Did you forget what we talked about last night  _ dear _ ,” he hissed, the last word almost seeming like an insult while his green eyes burned into her like the acid they resembled.

“I think you’re forgetting my side of the conversation.  I specifically said I didn’t want to move in here!  And if you think I’m going to give up my day job like you wanted, think again.  I don’t cater to anyone!  Least of all insane killers!” snarled out of her, showing no fear for her current situation.  If he had wanted her dead, he would have been on her as soon as he had noticed she had disobeyed him.  Besides, there was something in the depths of his dilated orbs.  A light that spoke more of passion and less of anger.

Smirking, he tightened his grip just slightly; closing off her air supply just a little bit.  “You certainly seemed willing enough to cater to  _ some _ of my needs last night,” growled out of the man pinning her down via her wrists.  Unwilling to allow him to distract her, the lawyer met his gaze steadily.

“Not something like  _ this _ ,” she pointed out, frustration shining in her pale blue eyes.  Soft lips landed on hers, a low rumble coming from the psychopath they belonged to.

“You’re so gorgeous when you’re all pissed off,” rasped his mid-tone, only making her feel more angry than before.

“Stop trying to distract me!  This is serious!  You can’t just get away with trying to take over my life!  You  _ need _ to start putting it all back pronto!” she demanded, trying her best to ignore the fact he had shoved his muscular thigh against her junction.

“That would be a bit... impossible,” came a too calm response, red coated lips coming to rest on her racing pulse.

“You see, your lease was broken early this morning.  Highly doubt your landlord would be willing to take you back on such short notice.  Especially with the state you left it in,” he pointed out, an expression of utter satisfaction on his painted face.

Laying there stunned for a few seconds, Alicia wondered if she had heard him correctly.  Yet, with everything she had come to learn about this man, she had a suspicion that he wasn’t exaggerating or lying.  At least, not this time.  Slowly, like a thick magma, her anger rose; becoming red-eyed fury the longer he smirked down at her.  Taking in a deep breath, she bucked her body upward; completely taking her infamous companion by surprise.  One second, he was in charge.  The next, he was on the filthy, cigar scarred carpet; staring up at an absolutely livid female.  “You complete asshole!” she screamed, making all the henchmen around them make themselves scarce.

In their long career working for the ‘Clown Prince’, they had never seen any of his girls stand up to him like this.  With how he reacted to when  _ they _ screwed up, they really didn’t wish to stick around to see what he would do now.  With how long they had known him, they knew he expected nothing but complete obedience from his arm candy.  With that fact in mind, they wanted to place themselves out of the way of possible retribution.  This, of course, left Alicia in the rather awkward position of being alone with a man who had killed for far less than what she had done.  Thing was, she didn’t seem to really care.

Letting out a chuckle that felt like a snake crawling on her skin, he slowly sat up; running a cotton covered hand through his lime green hair.  Scars on the corners of his mouth made his expression that much more horrifying as he gracefully got to his feet.  “Brave little thing aren’t ya?” purred out of him, one of his knives appearing in his right hand.  Feeling the slightest thread of fear but unwilling to show it, the prosecution lawyer simply raised a delicate brow.

“If you think a little blade like that will deter me, you have another thing coming.  I’ve been strangled in court, had chemicals sprayed at me and almost been eaten twice!  Being a prosecution lawyer in Gotham is a lot more harrowing than you would believe,” she pointed out, earning more laughter from the madman.  A man that could easily kill her and there was no one here to help her.

“Oh, oh I just  _ knew _ you’d be a fucking riot Caps,” he crowed, his weapon disappearing up his sleeve before he was trotting up to wrap an arm around her shoulders.

“How bout we, uh, compromise.  I’m not about to let ya leave here again but... I can tell you’re gonna be nothing but a headache unless I allow ya to work.   Sooooo, if ya can prove to me that, uh, you can have this job and still be able to communicate with me for a week; I’ll allow you to continue,” purred his smooth mid-tone, something inside her rising to the challenge.

“Fine but I am adding my own terms to this agreement.  I refuse to just stay with some criminal I don’t know.  I will stay with a trusted friend while you also get a week to woo me,” came a retort that made the atmosphere in the room turn to ice.

“I don’t remember saying there was room for negotiation,” snarled in her ear, the cool tip of a throwing knife pressed against her jugular.

“Nevertheless, those are my terms.  Take it or fucking kill me and get it over with,” spat a voice that held more courage than she honestly felt at the moment.  In fact, she was shaking in her boots.

Even when Croc had her head in his huge mouth, she had never felt as close to death as she did now.  There was no bailiff or army of policemen here.  It was just her and a man that sneered down on any form of sentiment.  Had, in fact, killed many over having such a feeling.  An endless silence followed her words, the blade pressing harder for just a few seconds.  Just enough to draw blood.  Then, it was pulling away to be replaced by an eager tongue.  “Only if you let me choose the friend Caps.  Need to be able to see you without a lot of screaming and unnecessary bloodshed,” rasped his own ultimatum.

A few hours later and with only enough clothes to last a week, Alicia found herself standing in front of two very infamous, female criminals.  Poison Ivy and Catwoman.  Both of them in full regalia and not seeming the least bit surprised to see her.  “Alicia Killian...  Joker, have you gone crazy?” the leather clad catburglar sighed, green eyes fixing on said criminal.  Still, the use of the name she had given the agency made her wince; feeling his eyes burning a hole into her skull.  

“Killian you say...,” he bit out, his eyes promising they would talk about this later.

“Yeah.  You almost sound like you didn’t know her name,” the female in the leather cat outfit purred, the shine in her eyes saying she knew exactly that she was adding fuel to the fire.

Gripping her upper arm in a painful grip, he yanked her inside, his furious expression speaking volumes while the pair came in behind them.  “We’ll just leave you to get settled in dear.  Your room is down the hall to the right, the first door you’ll come across,” Ivy husked, her unnaturally red hair shimmering as she made her way up the rickety steps.  Catwoman followed close behind, looking very much like a cat whole had successfully stolen some cream.  Licking her lips, Alicia braced while Joker shot out both hands to grasp her arms in a crushing grip.

“Five seconds,” he warned, tongue darting out to lick his ruby covered lips.

“Killian is my dad’s name.  I used it to keep dangerous people from finding where I lived.  Everything else is under my mother’s maiden name.  My I.D., my apartment, my car... literally everything,” she explained, hoping it would be enough.

“Your parent’s first names... now!” he spat, his vehemence hurting something deep inside her.  It was likely that he didn’t believe a word she said.

“Olivia and Ben.  Doubt you’ll find much on them.  They’re ordinary people.  Just... don’t set your mobs on them?” she sighed, not feeling much better when he released her and stomped out of the house.

Releasing a ragged sigh, Alicia gathered her suitcase and made her way up the stairs.  Along the way, some vines wrapped around the bannister rattled their leaves at her; the flowers lifting slightly to hiss at her.  Blinking, she carefully set down her bag to hold up her hands; allowing the flora to sniff at her.  Then, as if satisfied, the foliage settled; looking as harmless as any other plant.  Know this was one of Ivy’s creations, she gathered her bag again to resume her journey.  Once she reached the landing, she turned right; pushing the door open to reveal a rather musty room.

Flicking the lightswitch, she was a bit surprised when the lights came on.  She wasn’t surprised, however, when she saw a large, black cat laying across her bed like it had the feline’s name on it.  Smiling and rolling her eyes, she sat on the edge the mattress while the lounging animal opened its green eyes to glower at her.  After a quick examination, she came to the conclusion the cat was a female and a rather large one at that.  “Looks like we’re going to have to share beautiful.  Think we can be pals?” she offered, holding out her hand for the felid to sniff.  After a few, delicate sniffs the cat huffed before getting up to roll into a ball that faced away from her.

“I’ll take that as a yes.  I’ll leave the door open so you can come and go,” she sighed, closing the entry just enough so she could change and still feel comfortable.

Once clad in her pajamas, she turned off the light and got into bed; pulling the surprisingly clean sheets over herself.  Allowing her eye to closed, she curled up and tried her best to sleep.  Unfortunately, her brain had other plans.  Flashes of what Joker would do to her and her family playing behind her closed lids.  It was only the warmth of her furry roommate that kept her even remotely sane  At some point, her companion began to purr; eventually helping to lure her into a deep sleep.  Smiling to herself, she was grateful when her body finally relaxed and she slipped into blissful unconsciousness.

Furious green eyes glared at the computer screen some part of him hoping she had been lying to him.  At least then he would have an excuse to just murder her and be done with it.  Sever this tie with a woman that was coming to mean more to him than he wanted to admit.  If anything happened to her now...  Just thinking about it made his blood boil and a sick feeling fill the pit of his stomach.  Baring his teeth, he shut the machine off; running a hand through his dyed hair while releasing a string of foul language.  While he had suspected he was growing some sort of attachment to her, he hadn’t expected anything like this.  He hadn’t expected to actually want to trust her, let alone want her to be safe.  He hadn’t expected to feel uneasy with her out of the warehouse for only one night.

Growling, his spat decorated shoes clacked on the metal floor for an hour before he was storming out of his office.  As he made his way through the warehouse, his henchmen parted before him; terrified of the furious expression on his painted visage.  They had only seen him this angry a handful of times and it never meant anything good for bystanders.  So, when he simply stormed out the door and revved up the car, they all felt relieved.  It was only when they heard his vehicle scream away that they felt safe once more.  The only one slightly concerned was Bob.

Tearing down the sleeping streets of Gotham, Joker gritted his teeth as he struggled against himself.  Unwilling to acknowledge the feelings welling within him but unable to get rid of them, he stomped on the gas as he drove through the back roads and alleys.  In no time, he found himself in front of the very house he didn’t want to be anywhere near.  The house that held a woman who could very well destroy him.  Yet, he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame.  A similarly destructive and wholly irresistible attraction.  Much like the moth, he knew he would get consumed by the inferno sooner rather than later.  Still, he was getting out of his modded car; slamming the door shut while heading toward the entry of the hideout.  Charging through the warped, peeled door, he threw it shut in his wake; not caring when it cracked from the force.  Instead, he made his way up the creaky, rickety steps; heading toward the room where  _ she _ was.  A person who had accused him of turning  _ her _ world upside down.

Ignoring the vines on the stairs, he went down the hall; swinging open her door to glare at the form in the darkness.  Stepping into the room, a low hiss drew his attention to a pair of feline eyes glimmering in the gloom.  “Back off,” snarled out of him, something in his tone causing the dark shape to hop off the bed and make a run for it.  Continuing toward the bed, he stared down at the silhouette before him.  It would be a simple thing to do it now.  Just a quick snap of the neck and it would all be over.  Reaching out a hand, he found it resting against her cheek instead of going for the kill.

“What are ya doin’ to me Caps,” rasped out of him before he was bending to brush his lips against hers.

 

_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Day 1~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _

 

“Ms. Killian!” came a voice, dragging her reluctantly out of a fairly deep sleep.  With everything that had happened, coincided with the fact she was living with two famous killers, she had found it hard to sleep.  It certainly hadn’t helped she’d felt like she was being watched for most of the night.

Lifting her head to look up at her boss groggily, Alicia wasn’t surprised to see the older woman was concerned.  “You look like you haven’t slept in a week darling,” she pointed out, earning a groan from the overloaded brunette.

“You sure you shouldn’t just go home?  I just spent ten minutes trying to get your attention,” continued her wizened voice as she entered Alicia’s office and shut the door behind her.

“I have to make money Mrs. Davenport...  I can’t make rent if I remain at home,” sighed the exhausted lawyer, leaving out the fact she really didn’t have a home at the moment.  Home right now was more of a madhouse, full of killer plants and scarily intelligent felines.  Needless to say, she wanted to spend as little time there as she possibly could.

Shrugging, the flaxen haired matriarch placed a large mug of coffee on the young woman’s desk.  Since she had met Alicia, she had known the girl to be driven as well as stubborn.  So far, she hadn’t let herself be defeated by anything.  To see her like this was a bit jarring and made the concerned elder wonder if there was something going on.  Something the up and coming defense attorney didn’t want to talk about.  Or, maybe she just didn’t feel safe.  Either way, Estelle Davenport wasn’t one to just sit on her laurels.  She prided herself on being a woman of action.  “Well, if you need some help staying awake; just give me a shout,” came a very serious offer before she was leaving her employee to ponder her words.

Staring after her sixty year old superior, Alicia couldn’t help but grin.  The woman was a lot like a grandmother, making sure she ate properly among other things.  Because of her age, the young lawyer had no doubt Estelle was hooked up with all manner of pills; legitimately or otherwise.  Therefore, the woman would have things that would make her hair stand on end.  Eyeing the mug the boss had given her, she wondered if it had been spiked.  Though, given how tired she was, she wasn’t about to turn her nose up at some chemical assistance.  So, grabbing the cup, she took a sip of the hot liquid; hoping it would help her get through the day.

Pacing, there had been nothing but the sound of pacing coming from the boss’ office for hours now.  It was almost enough to make the men want to scatter to the four winds until things had settled down a little.  It was only Bob that kept them where they were, bringing up the very good point he would probably just hunt them down anyway.  Best they could do was stay as quiet and possible and wait.  Still, there was always the threat he would just shoot them to soothe his own tension.  Though, it sounded better than being hunted down and possibly tortured for abandoning their posts.

Glaring, the unstable killer kept moving; his mind more of a jumble than it usually was.  At the forefront of the chaos was a certain face, a face that was the cause of all of his problems.  A face he was honestly certain he hated because of the emotions she brought to the surface.  A face he wanted to stab over and over and over for just existing.  So, why was it that when the phone rang on his desk; he ran to it like he had been scared for her well being?  Why did the sound of her voice bring peace, his muscles relaxing while she informed him she was finally off work.  “Good!  Means you can uphold our previous agreement and come over,” declared his voice without his say so, an excitement filling him at the prospect.  An excitement that frightened him.

“I remember...  I have to come every night.  I’ll be there in a few,” came a tired response that made yet another foreign feeling ripple through him.  It felt like a tightness around his heart, a sensation he hadn’t felt since...

“Just make it fast,” growled his mid-tone before he was ending the call, glaring holes in the mahogany desk in front of him.  Was he actually worried about her?  Swearing in a low rasp, he flung one of his knives at an illustration of his nemesis.

“She’s just some girl!  Easily replaced!  Yet, look at what you’re allowing this piece of ass to get away with!  Are ya really okay with her forgetting what her place is!” came a voice that was was lower, more feral than his normal tone.  Yet, deep down, he knew it was no longer so simple.

Making sure to park where she wouldn’t be noticed, Alicia got out of her vehicle; staring at the door with a fair amount of apprehension.  Something about his voice had sounded off, like the one day she had been late after him warning her to never do that again.  It felt dangerous and she wondered if she shouldn’t hit the road.  Just run to Metropolis and start a new life there.  She’d heard things aren’t nearly as dangerous there if you could put up with the occasional super villain attack.  At least there wouldn’t be any psychotic clowns there bent on having some sort of relationship with her.

Instead, she walked toward the locked entry; knocking on the cool steel with her knuckles.  Just like before, a latch opened to reveal a pair of eyes.  After a quick perusal, the entry swung open to admit her.  Nodding to the brute who had let her in, she made her way through the living area and toward the stairs.  Unlike all the other times, the goons didn’t dare to even look her way.  All except Bob.  He was striding toward her with concern written clearly on his scruffy face, his sandy, shoulder length locks almost making him resemble some super model as he moved.

Reaching out, he grabbed her wrist; blue eyes moving to the door that led to his boss’ office.  “Careful.  He’s been real strange since last night,” came a warning that made her heart leap into her throat.  Then he was letting go of her, putting distance between them as quickly as possible.  Likely because he didn’t want to be caught so close to her without Joker’s permission.  Not that she could blame him if what he’d said was true.  Glancing up the stairs, she found herself weighing the pros and cons of just staying with the henchmen.  Unfortunately, her conscience won out.  If she remained, many of these men would likely be punished.  So, with a final glance at the ground floor, she began to move up the metal stairs and toward what felt like her doom.

Turning the knob, she found herself reminded of the creak of a coffin sliding open as she opened the door.  Shuddering, she looked around from her vantage point and saw no sign of Joker.  Taking in a deep breath, she moved further into the room.  When the door snicked shut behind her, she nearly jumped a mile into the air.  “Hello little bird,” rasped a voice that almost didn’t sound like the criminal that had summoned her here.  Turning, she felt her heart drop when she saw his head was lowered so all she could see was his green hair.

“Mr. J?” whimpered out of her, some part of her hoping his preferred nickname would snap him out of it.  Unfortunately, it made him twitch; a low, hollow laugh rolling out of him.  A laugh that more resembled a scream the louder it got.

“My dearest little bird... only showing respect when she is scared,” rasped out of him, one of his gloved hands moving up to sweep his locks out of his face.  What she saw both terrified and disgusted her.

Blood smeared his lips instead of lipstick, more coming from the deep gashes that had once only been scars.  His eyes bulged at her from the dark pits of his eye sockets, the irises and pupils seeming much smaller than normal.  Fighting the urge to vomit from the horror show in front of her, she forced her gaze away from his horrific wounds.  Those could be dealt with after things had calmed down a bit, after  _ he _ had been brought back under control.  She  _ had _ to stay calm or they would likely both end up dead.  Her by his hand while he would probably expire from blood loss.  “What happened,” she whispered in a vain attempt to return the situation to some form of normalcy.

“Had to remind myself just who I am.  And what I should have done with you the moment you came stumbling into my life,” snarled out of him before he was on her, pinning her to the floor.

Grimacing, the young attorney made no move to fight him; not wanting to risk making a bad situation even worse.  Still, the blood pattering onto her face in hot droplets made her job that much harder.  Before she even had a moment to compute how much shit she was in, a sharp blade was at her throat; the bleeding cuts in his face making his smile that much more insane.  “You’re changing me girly~.  Making me feel~,” sing-songed out of him, his cheery voice a terrible offset to what was occuring.

“I... I’m sorry Mr. J.  I didn’t mean to do anything you didn’t like,” she breathed, making an extreme effort to keep her voice calm and even.  That alone seemed to give him pause, the hand holding the weapon shaking ever so slightly.

Blinking, he seemed to come back for the briefest moment before the madness that dwelled inside him was back in charge.  “Yessss, apologize like a good girl.  You have been naughty and you deserve to be punished,” rasped the mid-tone above her before his blood coated tongue was lolling out to lick her cheek.  Feeling her stomach lurch from the proximity to his torn flesh, Alicia swallowed thickly before gathering what courage she had left.

“Before you do that Mr. J, allow me to show just how sorry I am by helping you with these.  It wouldn’t do for you to get an infection or bleed to death.  Not when there’s still so much to teach Gotham,” crooned out of her, barely daring to breathe while his crazed eyes fixed on hers.

For endless moments, they were frozen in place; the disguised murderer seeming to consider her offer.  Then, he was pulling off her; the fact she could see his molars through his cheeks painfully obvious to her.  Breathing slowly through her nose while her limbs began to tingle, she allowed him to pull her into a bathroom that had likely once belonged to a foreman of a factory.  Once he let go of her, she was heading to the medicine cabinet; not surprised when she saw all manner of first aid supplies stocked inside.  There was even a few sealed sutures as well as antibiotic ointment.  With some luck, she might be able to get him to a point where he would survive long enough for one of his more experienced goons to patch him up.

Trying hard not to allow her hands to shake, she directed Joker to sit on the closed toilet while she prepared what she would need.  Washing her hands with burning hot water, she carefully opened the sterilized gloves and put them on.  Opening up the first needle and thread, she breathed through her nose before kneeling in front of her would be patient and getting to work.  Regretting she had nothing to numb him, she took some solace that he didn’t seem to feel what she was doing at all.  In fact, he simply watched; some of his lucidity coming back ever so slowly.  Maybe, by the time she was done, he would be back to his old self.

With steady fingers, she sewed the edges of both wounds closed; gingerly smearing antibiotic cream on them before placing a swatch of gauze on top.  Once done, she washed her hands; bemoaning the fact she hadn’t cleaned the cuts.  An action she highly doubted he would have tolerated nearly as well as the treatment she’d given him.  As she threw away the gloves she had used, he felt another body press behind hers, making her wonder if he had returned to himself all the way.  As hot breath fanned over the back of her neck and his hands settled over hers, she felt apprehension and desire mix within her.  “Coulda killed you there little bird...  It would have been so easy,” sighed a rasp in her ear, making the hairs on the nape of her neck come to attention.

“Yet... you wanted to help me,” he continued, the cabinet swinging shut to allow her to see his reflection.

His eyes were back to normal, his tongue flicking out to lick at the gauze covering his wounds.  It was likely a habit he had developed the first time he had done this to himself and one he wasn’t going to be dropping anytime soon.  At least this time he had something to protect him from the bacteria inside his saliva.  “Despite the fact I’m not restraining you, you aren’t running for the hills right now.  Most other, sane women would,” he taunted, the kiss he gave the skin under her ear taking the sting out of his words.

“If you haven’t noticed, I’m not like most other women.  Most other women would have given up my job a long time ago.  Especially when some of this city’s most wanted start to tail after them,” she murmured, just happy that he seemed to be back to normal for the moment.  At least what his particular version of normal was.

“Yeah.  But maybe that’s exactly why you’re still alive.  Why I didn’t kill you just a bit earlier.  Why you helped patch me up instead of knocking me out and running for your life,” came a response that made the dread from earlier return full force.

For a few moments, they stood in place; neither person moving while they locked gazes through the mirror.  Flicking out his tongue, he gave a singular nod before back off.  Letting out a shaky breath, she turned to face him; her hands twining together out of nervousness.  “None of that matters now.  Gotta live in the moment!  Besides, I had more plans tonight than reopening old scars,” he declared, seeming no more bothered about what he had done to himself than he would a paper cut.  It made her wonder just how often he had done this.  How many times had he renewed wounds that were years old.

It was being dragged out of the bathroom, through the office and down the stairs that snapped her back to reality.  Wide grin on his painted, blood smeared face, he yanked her toward the door that led out into the alley.  Realizing he meant to go somewhere without proper care to his wounds, she dug her heels into the concrete to slow his momentum and get his attention.  Spinning his head to quirk a brow at her, he stopped for just a moment to allow her to tell him why she had stopped him.  “The cuts.  You should have Bob take a look and clean them,” she tried to reason, only getting a pat on her head for her efforts.  “Aren’t you, uh, sweet.  I’ll be fine, had a much worse patch job than this and I’m still here,” rumbled flawed reasoning before they were continuing their journey.

Soon, she was stuffed into his car and they were speeding down crowded roads.  Through some mixture of luck and skill, they didn’t crash; despite there being ample opportunities.  Soon, they were pulling up to an alley leading to one of Gotham’s premiere restaurants.  Wondering if it was really safe to be here, Alicia was a bit reluctant to get out when he opened the door for her.  It became clear she didn’t have a choice in the matter when he simply pulled her out of the car, wrapping his purple clad arms around her when she fell against his chest.  “Easy there babe.  Got all night to get cozy,” teased his gruff voice, ushering her toward the door before she could even form a protest.

With how he acted now, it was hard to believe he had been so far gone just moments ago.  Then again, maybe such extremes in behavior were just normal to him.  After reading his dossier and seeing him in action, she knew he was a deeply troubled individual.  One that desperately needed therapy and medication just for a start.  Yet, she knew he would be anything but willing to become like the rest of society.  He seemed to revel in his own insanity, finding amusement in all the chaos and pain he brought about.  Being yanked to his side brought her out of her thoughts, blue eyes staring up at him while he settled a hand on her waist.

Like any normal person, her eyes kept straying to the wounds on his cheeks and the blood now dotting the gauze.  The part of her that cared about him wanted to insist they go home to have them checked out by Bob.  The more logical part of him knew such a demand would only piss him off and, with how sensitive his trigger seemed tonight, it seemed better to keep her mouth shut.  So, when he turned his head to give her a rather toothy grin, she returned it tentatively.  Last thing she wanted was to set him off all over again.  If he lost it in this restaurant, she had no doubt several of the patrons would die simply because of proximity.

Giving the door a couple, rhythmic knocks, Joker stood in place; staring at the door.  After a few moments, it swung open; a thin, young male peeking around to see who was out there.  Obviously a dishboy, his eyes widened when he realized that what he was dealing with was far out of his league.  Raising his brow slightly at the sight of the greenhorn, Joker simply shrugged and decided to roll with it.  “Just lead us in and tell Jacques an old friend has come by,” he murmured, reaching down to ruffle the twelve year old’s hair.  Nodding nervously, the child opened the heavy door wider; running off down the hall as they made their way inside.

“Poor kid.  Was probably just brought on today,” he sighed, his voice holding more amusement than actual sympathy as he gave his tux coat a lazy brush of his gloved hand.

Before Alicia could ask what he meant, she heard a loud cacophony come from the kitchen.  A lot of French yelling punctuated by metal instruments being thrown echoed down the corridor.  Wincing, she hoped the poor boy wasn’t getting the brunt of it.  After all, it wasn’t his fault Joker had chosen tonight to show up here.  Then the double doors in front of the pair were bursting open, a rather terrified, gaunt looking male standing in the entry.  Mustache twitching, he made his way toward them with his eyes wide.  Bowing, thickly accented apologies poured from him while he began to walk backwards to lead them to the kitchen; capitualing the entire journey.

As soon as they were in the kitchen, the cooks scattered.  A few ran to the dining room, only to return moments later with a nod to their boss.  Wondering what they were up to but far more fascinated by where they were, the attorney took a moment to look around.  The walls were a bright white, all the appliances polished to a high sheen.  Every person in the room was doing something.  If it was just cleaning up or cooking the next meal to order.  The smells filling the air were fantastic making her drool while her stomach gave an enthusiastic gurgle.  She could have stayed here forever, just watching them turn simple ingredients into something beautiful.

Unfortunately, Joker was pulling her along all too soon; heading toward the dining room with a purpose.  Pushing through the doors, the pair was greeted with a rather dark dining room.  The only lights were the candles on the tables, giving the entire place a strangely romantic feel.  “Mmmm, might have to forgive him for only sending the help to greet us,” mumbled the Prince of Chaos as he trotted toward a rather isolated table near the back of the restaurant.  Even with the poor lighting, it would be easy to be noticed with his white make-up.  The further away they were from the crowd, the lower the probability of an incident.

Pulling out a chair for her, the grinning psychopath took a seat across from her; motioning for her to pick up her menu.  Blinking, she looked down at the laminated form before meeting his gaze.  “Are you sure eating is a good idea right after you cut open your mouth?” she questioned, genuine worry overtaking her innate sense of self preservation.  Anyone else would have been killed for daring to care about him.  Him or anyone.  Yet, for some reason, she felt she was safe.  Earlier tonight would have been when he would have killed her, not now.

“I’ll gargle once we get home if it’ll make you happy,  _ darling _ ,” came his sickeningly sweet response, almost seeming like a taunt.  Still, it was better than a blade at your throat.

“If you promise to also put some antibacterial ointment on them too, I’ll be content,” she continued, ignoring the derision.  She knew enough about him not to take anything he did personally.

Still, when he stared at her for moments on end, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy.  The only movement from him was his tongue occasionally flicking out to lick his covered wounds, an oddly contemplative expression in his green eyes.  Without a word, he motioned for her to peruse the menu; watching her while she reluctantly did so.  Eventually, a waiter came to give them some water as well as take their order; looking scared out of his mind.  Pen shaking, he wrote what they said before practically running away; making her giggle despite the tense atmosphere.

Closing his eyes, he allowed the sound of it to wash over him.  It had been a very long time since he’d had a woman genuinely enjoy being in his company.  A woman that actually cared about his safety.  Surprisingly, he wasn’t as bothered by her sentiment than he normally was.  Not when he had a fair amount of his own aimed toward her.  After all, it wasn’t every henchwench that he treated this lavishly.  In fact, the last one had been Harley; a relationship he preferred not to think about.  While she had been entertaining at first, her incessant obsession and clinginess had worn on his nerves.  Not to mention the hideous nickname she had insisted on calling him despite him overtly telling her not to.

This... this was an entirely new experience.  Frowning, he took a sip of his water; shuddering at the burn caused by his patched wounds.  A burn that reminded him sharply of how close he had come to killing her just a few minutes earlier.  Yet, here they were, acting like a normal couple on a date.  It almost made him want to laugh.  Instead, he reached across the table; holding his hand with the palm up in a clear signal.  Meeting his gaze carefully, his little bird responded by giving him her own hand.  “I will make sure the wounds are cared for properly.  Now, stop worrying and just enjoy yourself,” came a growled demand as he lifted her hand to his blood and lipstick covered lips.

Feeling a minnow of desire begin to wiggle in the pit of her stomach, she took a breath and nodded; only set slightly at ease.  Though, why she cared so much for his safety still baffled her.  Sure, she had accepted the fact she was falling for him but was she really so far gone?  Was she really going to just ignore his erratic behavior and allow him to do his best to hold up his end of their agreement?  Watching as her hand tugged him across the table to she could kiss cotton covered fingers, she found the answer was a yes.  As illogical as it was, she didn’t want what was happening to stop.  She didn’t want to go back to her normal life where she was scared of every shadow simply because of her job.  With Joker, as insane as it sounded, she was safer.

All too soon, their food was set before them; the heavenly scent of the alfredo reminding her just how famished she was.  The only thing she had eaten had been a granola bar.  So this looked like mana from the Gods.  Eyeing his steak from across from her, Joker cut it into tiny pieces that would lessen the probability of tearing the gashes he had given himself.  An action she doubted he would have done if she wasn’t so scared of him getting a horrible infection.  It had to be a strange position for him to be in, shedding light on a possible reason for his earlier breakdown.

Everything happening had to be just as new for him and likely even more frightening.  He was a man unused to caring for others.  Unused to feeling protectiveness or even love.  The dark half of him must have wanted to get rid of the perceived threat.  Must have, as he put it, wanted to remind him who they were and what they were supposed to do with her.  Add all of this to the fact she had disobeyed him, made him compromise and he had snapped.  Biting her lower lip, she wondered if it was best to see all of this through to the end.  Just the first day had been a complete disaster.  Picking at her food while she pondered, she was unaware of the fact her companion was watching her and reading every move.

His bird was scared, a fact that didn’t really surprise him.  In fact, she looked about ready to throw in the towel on the ridiculous compromise she had made him agree to.  While just a few hours ago he would have been ecstatic about this, now he found himself wanting to rise to the challenge.  To allow himself to actually fall in love with her and vice versa.  “Eat up Caps.  You’ll feel a bit better with food in your belly,” he encouraged, tightening his fingers around her hand when she finally began to feed herself.  Maybe... maybe it wouldn’t be all that terrible to have someone like her by his side willingly.  Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to allow her the freedom she needed as long as she kept being the person he had come to find irreplaceable.

Oddly enough, after a few mouthfuls, the pair fell into pleasant conversation.  Alicia ended up telling him rather personal things about herself while he shared his latest ideas for ‘improving’ the city.  “Can’t wait to see the look on ol’ Batsy’s face,” he chuckled, his laughter sounding real for the first time since she had met him.  Laughing softly, Alicia found herself fascinated by the odd symbiosis the two men shared.  They each seemed bent on the other’s destruction but did nothing to truly put an end to the rivalry.  It was like one could not live without the other, as opposite as they were.

“I just wish so many people didn’t have to die.  I know you have a fairly low opinion of humanity but not everyone deserves death,” sighed out of her before she could stop it.

Quirking his head to one side, the light in his eyes became dangerous while his grin widened; straining the stitches.  “That is where you are wrong Caps.  Death is the one thing that is completely neutral.  It doesn’t care who it claims.  Young, old, good, evil, sane, insane, rich, poor...  No one is exempt.  It is, perhaps, the most fair judge there could ever be.  There is no such thing as ‘deserving’ death!  There is only the time it will eventually occur,” came a rant that made fear skitter across her system with cold claws.

“What I desire is not death anyway.  What I want is to give this city the, uh, wake up call its been needing.  A shove into the madness the ‘normal’ people claim not to have,” continued his raw, emotional voice, each word punctuated by a flick of his tongue as he got out of his chair to hover over the table.

Slowly, people were turning to look at them; some of them sensing the danger and fleeing while they could.  “Even  _ you _ are a bit insane my little robin,” cooed out of him while he gestured to the bloodstained gauze on his cheeks.  Licking her lips while her heart trip-hammered, Alicia did possibly the dumbest thing she had all night.  She reached up to gingerly touch the wounds.

“Do they hurt?  They seem to be bleeding through.  Maybe we should go home early,” whispered out of her while a large part of her descended into a sense of awe.  Never before had she acted without a care for her own survival.  Even now, ending her would likely only be a small ripple in his tortured existence.  So, why was she acting like he was any other man?  Why was she acting like he hadn’t just said some truly horrible things?  Maybe it was her way of coping, as unhealthy as it was.

Seeming a bit taken aback by her lack of response to his tirade, Joker stared at her before shaking his head.  “And miss dessert?” came his strangely playful reply, given how angry he had seemed.  Yet, the coals of fury still burned in the green depths of his eyes.  Likely meaning he likely wasn’t done trying to make his point.  Still, Alice welcomed the return to some form of stability.  She wanted him to stay lucid long enough to return her to her temporary home with Catwoman and Ivy.  Once she was safe, she could assess just how much trouble she was getting herself into.  Thankfully, the stressed waiter soon came back to ask if they wanted anything else; looking every bit like poor man wanted them to leave so they could return to their normal routine.

While the Clown Prince ordered a lava cake for himself, Alicia had lost her appetite sometime around his very vehement rant.  Unfortunately, he wasn’t willing to just let that slide.  Before she could protest, he was getting another a cake for her; the serious expression on his disguised face telling her there was no room for argument.  Yet, when it came, she did nothing more than prod at the dessert with her fork.  Watching her with his disconcerting eyes, he frowned before spearing into his cake with his fork in a rather violent motion.  The chocolate inside oozed out like blood, making her stomach twist when she saw the fluid as red for a few seconds.  Pushing her plate away, she shook her head firmly before getting to her feet and beginning to make her way to the bathroom.  She wasn’t too surprised when she felt one of his hands grab her wrist.

Looking toward him, she felt her heart drop into her stomach when she realized he had gotten to his feet.  “Not thinkin’ of runnin’ out on ol Mr. J are ya?” husked his mid-tone, making her feel more like a hostage than she ever had in his presence.  Yet, running away wasn’t even on her radar.  All she wanted was to splash some water on her face and to be near a toilet in case she lost her cookies.  Everything that had happened was honestly making her head swim and her nausea was only getting worse.

“Going to the bathroom.  Care to join me?” she murmured, hoping against hope he would just let it lie at that.

Thankfully, he was getting to his feet; following her to the girl’s bathroom and even coming into the rather fancy looking room with her.  The tile on the walls was a pale, rosy pink; intricately designed lamps spaced evenly near the ceiling.  The sinks were set in a singular block of marble that held a gold inlay, gold faucets hanging over the basins.  The stalls themselves were also tiled, the doors more resembling a normal door.  Heading right to the sinks, Alicia turned on the cold water full force.  With shaky hands, she cupped some of the liquid and threw it into her face.

Clutching the rim of the sink, she took in a deep breath through her nose; letting it out slowly through her mouth.  Using every bit of will power she had, she began doing her best to convince her body she was not going to throw up.  Unfortunately, her brain was staging a rebellion.  It flashed images of his torn cheeks, of having to sew them up.  Not to mention his rather erratic behavior as well as the fact she was well beyond the point of no return.  Even if she wanted to, there would be no escaping the villain now.  Worst part was, despite everything that had happened, she honestly didn’t want to escape.  Admittedly, she had thought about it more than once in the past hour but that’s all it was; a passing thought.  No real urge or intent.

Keeping her breathing steady while her stomach roiled, she became aware of the fact loose arms had wrapped around her while a chin came to rest on her right shoulder.  Opening her eyes, she found herself in a position that caused a shock of deja-vu to rush through her.  Just like earlier, he was behind her; green eyes locked on her own azure orbs.  “Did I scare ya a bit?” purred a soft mid-tone, just the tiniest hint of concern under the derision in his voice.  Despite herself, she let out a chuckle before bending so she could take a drink from the still running faucet.

“Just a bit.  Feels like I’m in a madhouse.  Or a ship during a storm with no solid footing.  I have no idea what to expect from you,” came a quiet response while his gloved hands tightened around her lower belly reflexively.

“Kinda my M.O.  Not even I’m too sure what I’m going to do until I’m doing it.  Its the way I’ve always been.  Anybody who’s going to be with me will just have to accept that,” hissed in her ear, his hands moving to rest on the swell of her hips.

“I know...  Doesn’t mean it isn’t disorienting,” she pointed out, reaching forward to turn off the water.

The mixture of his scent, the way he was holding her and the fact they were talking calmly had helped settle her nerves.  This had allowed her nausea to abate to more manageable levels, giving her some confidence she wouldn’t lose the meal she had just eaten.  Yet, she still felt as if she had been caught in a whirlwind;giving her a terribly off balance sensation.  This wasn’t helped when she was spun around, emotionless, green eyes glaring at her before he was grabbing her wrist and dragging her out of the room.  Instead of heading back to their table, however, he was pulling her toward the kitchen.  In a matter of moments, they were heading back the way they came; Joker’s jaw tense and twitching the entire way.  A sure sign there was something bothering the highly unstable male.

As they got to his car, he still had enough propriety to open her door before getting into the vehicle himself.  As soon as she had shut the door, however, they were speeding off into the streets.  “Caps, as intimidated as you are at the moment, I still want to continue with our previous agreement,” came a declaration she honestly hadn’t expected.  After the disaster of tonight, she had expected him to be all over her wanting to end the strange compromise they had reached.

“Why?  After everything that happened tonight, why would you want to put yourself through that?” came out of her before she could stop it, making her wish she could crawl into the nearest hole to hide.  So, when he began to laugh, she was more than a bit shocked.

“I want to explore this... particular brand of chaos this is causing inside me.  Never felt anything like it.  Besides that... I think you’re worth gettin’ to know a bit better,” rasped his strangely good natured response as he turned to give her the first real smile she had ever seen on him.

While he agreed tonight had been nothing but a disaster, it had also been the most fun he’s had in ages.  Even down to the moment he had cut open his own cheeks yet again.  It hadn’t been the first time and it certainly wouldn’t be his last, the scars on his face being a large part of who he was.  Every now and again, he felt a need to refresh them.  A need to remind himself just who he was.  Especially when the buried part of himself kept stirring under the chains he had put over it.  A part of him that could jeopardize his entire empire if it ever got free.  A part of him he had forgotten since that night.  The night he had first been given his chesire grin.

Shaking himself, he pushed the foggy memories away.  They would do him no good.  Besides, he much preferred his past to be multiple choice.  Made things more interesting.  There was also the fact he had much better things to occupy him in the here and now.  Like his precious little bird.  She had ridden out his storm with a bravery he hadn’t seen from anyone else.  Even Harley had made herself scarce during his worse tantrums.  The fact that Caps had made no move to escape and still seemed worried about his wounds baffled him.

All too soon, or maybe not soon enough, the car pulled up to the dilapidated house that Ivy and Catwoman were currently squatting in.  Feeling relieved and disappointed at the same time, Alicia got out as soon as the door was opened for her.  While the safety of the house was practically tugging on her, she forced herself to only move to the foot of the stairs; turning to face her companion.  One last time, her gaze travelled to the reddened gauze plastered on his cheeks.  “Promise me you’ll have Bob give them a once over,” she insisted once more, unsure he would actually keep his word given just who he was.

Something in his eyes softened, a strange expression coming over his painted face.  Pulling off one of his gloves with his teeth, he offered his pale, bare hand to her.  Staring at the offered appendage, she felt something of significance was happening but she couldn’t, for the life of her, figure out what it was.  Taking a breath, she placed her hand in his; shuddering at the jolt of electricity that went up her arm.  With a gentle pull, he was bringing her just a bit closer; eyes glittering while his lips parted slightly.  “I give you my word Alicia.  I’ll also put on antibiotic ointment and give them a wash as soon as I get home,” murmured a serious reply while his other, still covered hand came up to cup her cheek.  For a few moments, it seemed like he was going to kiss her; filling her with a tingling anticipation.  So, when he merely brushed his lips across her forehead, she was both shocked and a tiny bit frustrated.

Chuckling, the clown released her to put his glove back on; tipping her a roguish wink before turning to head to his car.  “Gotta keep the coals guttering,” chirped a playful response, the driver’s door opening while he got in.  Then he was speeding off into the night, leaving her confused as well as a bit angry.  After all of that, he couldn’t leave her with a kiss?  Then again, why was she even angry about this in the first place?  She should just accept this as a win and go inside.  Wanting to tear her own hair out, she simply turned and headed inside.

 

_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Day 2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _

 

Of all the cases to cross her desk, why did it have to be Jonathan Crane again?  Somehow, he had managed to convince the doctors at Arkham he wasn’t insane.  That it had all been induced by stress.  Therefore, despite the crimes he had been convicted for, he had been released nearly as soon as he had been admitted.  Needless to say, he had gone right back to his previous activities.  One would think that, due to being put in Arkham just a short while ago, her job would be easier.  Unfortunately, she could already tell this was going to be a son of a bitch.  Instead of discrediting the psychiatrist and chemist, all scrutiny had been pushed onto her.  She would have to work even harder to prove he was the dreaded ‘Scarecrow’.

As loathe as she was to do it, this case meant she would have a lot of late nights ahead of her.  A fact she highly doubted Joker would be all too pleased about given what had happened last time.  Still, at least she could call him to give him a bit of a head’s up.  Pulling out her cell phone, she shot a worried glance toward her door but decided to leave it unlocked.  After all, any changes in behavior could only make her look more suspicious in the end.  Hitting the call button on his burner number, she did her best to seem as relaxed as possible while the line began to ring.  After a few moments, she heard the click signaling the other end opening.  “Speak,” came a curt command over the open air.

Given the fact she was calling during work hours, it only made sense he would know something was wrong right away.  Still, that didn’t stop the horror from crawling down her spine in an unpleasantly slithery sensation.  “Jonathan Crane again.  I’ll have to stay late,” sighed a warning, making it sound like she was talking to no more than a boyfriend.  No one would be able to tell that the silence on the other end was slowly turning her blood to ice.

“Call me when the office is clear of people,” snarled another demand before the sound of the call going dead made her flinch.

Staring at her phone, she forced her breathing to remain slow and calm so she wouldn’t start screaming.  Given his tone of voice and how odd he was yesterday, nothing good could result from what he wanted her to do.  Yet, she didn’t have much choice.  If she dared to ignore him, there was every possibility he would show up anyway and just blow the building up; empty or not.  Best thing she could do was focus on her job, as impossible as that was now.  One thing was certain, she certainly didn’t need coffee.  Grabbing the folder she had been given, the attorney got to work; reviewing all the evidence she would have to review as well as the leads she had to follow.

Soon she was hip deep in phone calls, the police giving her a bit of a run around despite her being on their side.  If they did their job, she wouldn’t have to be doing any of this herself.  It was bad enough having to track down the security tapes she would need.  Now she was having to gather all the other evidence the separate departments had gotten.  As it turned out, despite being a supposed brotherhood, different districts could be oddly possessive of the potential crimes they were dealing with.  “Just get the tapes to the D.A. before five,” she hissed to a grouchy, stubborn old police chief before hanging up.

“Fucking sexist asshole,” spat out of her while she leaned back in her chair to crack her back.  A chuckle from her door drew her attention to her boss.  The much older woman had an indulgent grin as well as thermos of coffee.

“I’m heading out Ms. Killian.  Do try not to stay too late?” she murmured before setting the thermos on her employee’s desk and leaving.

Feeling cold dread settle over her once she heard the main door open and shut, Alicia found her gaze traveling to her phone.  Picking it up while warning bells began to klaxxon in her head, her reluctant fingers pressed his number; time seeming to halt as it began to ring.  Unlike last time, it was cut off during the first ring.  “On my way.  Fill me in on the situation,” snapped a rather business-like response.  Nodding, she found herself giving him details she would any colleague she was working with.

“You have a good start so far and I have my own ways to make sure you get what you need.  Just sit tight til I get there and don’t open the door for anyone else,” he continued, his words making her eyes go wide while her skin began to prickle.

Immediately, she wondered if Mrs. Davenport had locked the main door.  Usually, she didn’t because Alicia was still there.  Getting to her feet, she drowned out the rest of Joker’s words; heading to her door with her heartbeat loud in her ears.  Opening it slowly, she stuck her head around the frame to see a very dark, empty office.  Taking a breath for courage and deaf to the fact her name was being called from the phone she still held against her ear, she scampered for the door to the building.  With a quick motion, she was locking it; letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.  “Caps!  If you are there, you had better fucking answer me!” roared the voice of the clown, reminding her sharply she was still on a call.

“Just locked the door.  I haven’t been alone long,” whispered out of her as she made her way to her safe office.

“Just get back to your little cubby.  I will be there in a few minutes.  Make sure you know your escape routes,” came a cryptic and frightening reply before the hum of the other side closing met her ear.

Hunching slightly, she fairly ran back to the safety of her well lit office; slamming her door shut and locking it behind her.  Even then, she didn’t feel entirely safe.  Joker’s behavior had her on edge, making her wonder if there was something he knew that she didn’t.  Like, maybe, Scarecrow was going to pay her a visit.  A fact she wouldn’t be surprised by if it was true.  Feeling paranoid, she performed a thorough search of the room just to be sure no one had snuck in.  She only felt safe again once she had double checked every possible hiding place.  Once done, she sat in her chair with a slightly relieved sigh; only to nearly shoot to the ceiling when the company phone rang.

Glaring at the offending device, she reached to answer it when she heard a knock from the main door.  Torn between answering and going to open the door, it struck her that Joker hadn’t called.  If it was him, she would have heard her cell ring.  Feeling her heart plummet into her stomach, she reached for the main phone instead; answering as calmly as she could manage.  To her frustration, it was one of the police departments she was having the most problems with.  The chief was still giving her attitude about handing over what they had to another office.  It was like some sort of pissing contest she hadn’t been aware of today.  Letting out an aggravated sigh, she felt her irritation mount when her own phone rang and the knocking from before came again.  “Look, I don’t care if you feel like the credit is being taken away from you.  If we don’t get the evidence you have, the man could walk.  Do you really want that?  More deaths on your hands?  Now, if you don’t mind, I have better things to do than argue over something that shouldn’t even be an issue in the first place,” she snarled before slamming the headset on to the cradle.

Next, she reached for her phone; flipping it open to press it against her head.  “Just got here Caps.  Thought you said everyone was gone,” murmured Joker while her reality proceeded to go an alarming gray.

“They are...,” she managed, the knocking coming once again and filling her with the urge to hide in her closet.  With a quiet curse, the connection ended yet again; the knocks slowly turning to loud bangs.

Breathing out slowly, she gathered the massive file on Crane before reaching out to turn off her light and computer.  Since there were no windows to the outside that would show her office to the street, it was likely that whoever was trying to get in wouldn’t know she was here.  Heading to her closet, she was thankful she had never had a real taste for rearranging.  Because of this, she could find her way; even during a power outage.  Crawling into the tiny space, she shut the door and began breathing as shallowly as possible.

To her horror, it wasn’t much longer before she heard the sound of someone using their body as a battering ram.  Thanks to cheap materials, it was no time before there was a cracking noise followed by disheartening silence.  All she could hear was footsteps coming from a fair bit further away from the door.  “Caps!” called a very welcome mid-tone, filling her with a dangerous urge to call out.  While the person that had broken in had no idea where she was, they certainly would if she made a noise prematurely.  Best she could do was wait until Joker got closer before warning him of the danger.

As he reached the door, a string of swearing came from the criminal before she heard him stepping on some of the broken wood on the floor.  “Joker, watch out!  He’s somewhere in the main office!” she screamed out as loud as she could, flinging open the closet door so he could have a better chance of hearing her.  Of course, her lover wasn’t the only one to hear her.  In an instant, the doorknob to her office began to rattle; metallic sounding breathing coming from the other side.  Thankfully, this was soon followed by the sound of two bodies colliding together.  It was then that she was faced with two choices.  Either she grab a weapon and help the craziest man in Gotham survive this fight or she take her opportunity and run away.

Grabbing a letter opener from her drawer, she unlocked her door and ran out into the gloom of the main office.  In the darkness, all she could see were two figures grappling.  Stalking toward them as quietly as she could, she squinted her eyes while a white face eventually swam out of the gloom.  To her horror, the figure that owned the face was on the bottom; struggling with his assailant while he gritted his teeth.  It was in that moment that she made a decision that would forever change the course of their relationship as well as their fate.  Without so much as thinking, she lunged; driving her small weapon into the back of the man choking the life out of Joker.

A muffled cry of pain was all she heard before she was bodily flung into the air.  Slamming into some filing cabinets behind her, she let out a yelp of agony; her spine exploding into a pain she had never felt before.  It was almost enough to make her pass out while Joker pulled himself to his feet with a low growl.  With a flash of metal, he was slashing at the taller figure that had been heading to where she lay; too stunned from pain to move out of the way.  For a few moments, there was a distressing gurgling noise before silence followed.  “Caps, let me know where ya are,” called out a slightly panicked mid-tone.

Taking in a pain laced breath, she cleared her throat before giving her best shot of getting his attention.  “O-over here.  Can barely br-breathe,” gasped out of her, barely above the volume of a whisper.  Thankfully, with the silence of the room, he was able to hear her; his steps getting closer to where she was.  As he bent, she began to panic; thinking he meant to pick her up.

“D-don’t move.  Back c-could be broken,” wheezed out of her as he continued his descent.

“I know, I heard you crash into something metal pretty hard.  Do the lights work in this joint?  Need to look ya over and plan from there,” rumbled from above her, the voice unsteady and holding just the faintest remnants of fury.

“By the main door,” came her response as she did her best to stay still.  While the pain was tapering off, it still felt like her back had been run over by a tank.

What followed was the sound of footsteps before the lights came flickering on.  What greeted her eyes made her feel completely nauseous.  Scarecrow was on the floor, another smile carved into his neck while his life blood puddled around his gaunt body.  Shuddering and sending a fresh wave of pain through her system, she closed her eyes to block out the image.  Even with her profession, the sight of death still bothered her.  It was the feeling of gentle hands  brushing her back that helped finally draw her attention away from it.  “Shit.  Okay... okay...  Just stay here.  I’m gonna get ya help the only way I know how,” came an assurance from above her.  Then there was the sound of footsteps heading away from her at a fast clip.

Staring at the tile in front of her, Alicia tried her best to ignore the dull throbbing in her back so she could stay calm.  If she was paralyzed now, she had no idea what she would do.  Her entire life as she knew it would be essentially over.  There would be no way she could continue such a high risk job, let alone get another.  As far as she knew, employers would likely have a severe bias toward hiring her as soon as she came through the door in a wheelchair.  She didn’t even want to think about how Joker would react.  He would probably abandon her as soon as he found out she was disabled.  Sniffling back tears, she startled when she heard a loud explosion from outside.

Turning her head so she could see a bit behind her, she wasn’t too surprise to see evidence of smoke and fire.  In seconds, there was a silhouette breaking through the thick smog; eyes wide with what she could only describe as fear.  To see such an expression on Joker’s face was more than a little jarring.  “Bats will be showing up any minute now.  Stay still,” husked out of him while he knelt to gingerly lift the shirt she was wearing.  Prodding a few places carefully, he frowned when she let out small, pained noises.

“Can’t promise to stay with you for long but... you have to promise not to panic.  You’ll be safe.  Batsy won’t hurt you,” came a reassurance before her head found itself in his purple clad lap.  Bare hands were in her hair, petting her in a soothing manner.

After a few moments of silence, Alicia found herself going a bit crazy.  With nothing to distract her from the dull throbbing in her spine or her worries about just how injured she was, the anxiety swirling inside her was slowly building into outright panic.  “You realize I might not be able to walk after this, right?” whispered a weary voice, stilling the killer’s hands while he looked down at her.

“What does  _ that _ matter?” growled out of him, the sound of sirens finally coming from a fair distance away.

“I won’t be able to keep this job or continue living with Ivy and Catwoman.  There’s also the fact that I will need a lot of medical help,” she pointed out, earning a quiet snarl from the villain.

“You think I’m going to abandon you...,” murmured from above her, fury burning in his verdant gaze.

Blue meets green, a small smile curling quivering lips.  “Won’t you?  You hate all sentiment and...  I’m nothing but something you want at the moment.  Once I became of no further use to you, you were going to throw me away anyway,” she sighed out, resignation clear in her tone.  Glaring heavily, Joker looked like he wanted to shake her.  Instead, he rested his forehead against hers while his wild eyes slid shut.

“Even if I wanted to... I wouldn’t be able to...  You... mean too much to me now for me to just abandon like an unwanted toy,” came a confession before there was a loud thud from the front of the building.

Turning to glare at the front door, Joker looked back down at her; seeming reluctant to flee despite what he had said about not sticking around once Batman was there.  “Anyone in the building?” came a gruff, gravelly voice from outside, a silhouette becoming clear in the thick smoke.  A shadow that was fairly tall and had tall, thin ears as well as a billowy cape.

“Yeah!  Over here,” he called before she could, seeming torn between setting her head on the floor or keeping it cushioned on his thighs.  In the end, he stayed where he was; even when his archrival stepped across the threshold.

For a moment, the vigilante seems torn between helping the injured female or taking advantage of the fact that Joker was making no moves to defend himself.  In the end, his chivalry won out and he was walking toward the pair with no sign of a weapon.  “Friend of yours J...,” he began, trailing off when he saw one of the most infamous prosecution lawyers in Gotham.

“Alicia Killian...,” rasped out of the rubber clad man before his eyes were going to her still exposed back.  Then, his gaze was travelling to the crumpled body of Jonathan Crane, his burlap mask still covering his gaunt visage, and back to Joker.

Obviously confused he walked around to the front of the obviously injured attorney.  “What happened?” came an inquiry that honestly surprised them.

“Crane’s case crossed my desk this morning.  Its the second time I had to deal with him.  He broke into the office while I was working late.  If it wasn’t for Joker...,” she murmured, doing her best not to act shocked when the hands resting on her head resumed their petting.

“Joker?” came an incredulous confirmation, hidden eyes travelling to the clown she was currently laying on.

“Yep, I’m the hero for once.  Kinda blows your mind doesn’t it?” came a teasing response that drew a pained giggle from Alicia.

“Makes me wonder just... why?  Why did you save her and why are you still here, not even trying to defend yourself,” the man only known as Batman questioned as he looked the woman over for other injuries other than her back.

“Ah ta ta ta ta, that would be kissing and, uh, telling wouldn’t it?” Joker purred, baring his teeth slightly but still remaining right where he was.

Grimacing, Batman shook his head before pulling out a black, vaguely bat shaped cell phone.  “Gordon, bring an ambulance to the location.  Alicia Killian was attacked and injured by Scarecrow.  It looks bad.  Possible broken spine,” he explained before hanging up, giving the madman on the floor with her a skeptical glance.  After a few, tense moments, the hero let out a gruff sigh before pinching the bridge of his masked nose.

“You can stay with her until we can hear the sirens for the ambulance.  You’re lucky I had Commissioner Gordon call off the cavalry,” he gritted out, going back out the front door to supposedly keep watch for help.

Sticking out his tongue at the goody-two-shoes’ back, the Clown Prince returned his focus to the woman he had on his lap.  “Hate to say it, but sometimes he can be a good guy.  He’s also right ‘bout splitting once help gets here.  I don’t want to cause a larger mess when you need to get to a doctor as soon as possible,” rumbled a reluctant concession.

“Still, don’t you think for a minute you’ve escaped me.  Every day you’re in, I’ll be there visit you.  You’re  _ mine _ Caps,” hissed a warning that reassured here more than it frightened her.

Closing her tearfilled, blue eyes, a shaky smile curled her lips as she nodded.  “Thanks... Mr. J,” she murmured, the last part a whisper only the psychotic villain would hear.  Humming softly, the agent of chaos kept a silent vigil over her until he heard the sound of approaching ambulance sirens.

“Time’s up.  You gotta go or I’ll be forced to detain you,” came an announcement from the main door while Joker carefully set her head on the bare floor.

With a final brush of his knuckles against her temple, he was gone; footsteps head toward the main door and out.  As soon as he was gone, the hero of Gotham was crouching over her; shadowed eyes locking on her.  “Just... don’t...  I know very well how dangerous he is.  How insane he is.  I’m not the only one at risk here, however,” she explained, keeping her gaze locked with his until he looked away.  Even with all the horrors he had caused while she had been ‘working’ with him, she wasn’t ashamed of her feelings for him.  In fact, she cherished them; as much as they frightened her.

“You love him,” came a declaration, completely neutral and seeming more like an observation.

“Deeply, illogically, loyally...  He may turn on me at any second but I would not give up a moment spent with him,” she confessed, the sirens mercifully close.  Then the paramedics were swarming her, examining her while moving her as little as possible.

 

_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Day 3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _

 

Beeps fill the silence of the room, a medicinal, almost sterile smell tainting the air.  A figure shifts on crisp sheets, lines dangling from their right arm.  Yet, this person is not alone.  Two other figures linger in a dark corner of the room, one much taller and more bat shaped than the other.  Licking his lips, Joker looked up at Batman; hating the fact he owed the bastard anything.  Yet, without his help, he would have never gotten in to see Caps without causing a hubbub.  After nearly twenty-four hours of no news of her condition, he just wasn’t willing to let that slide.  “I’ll give you five minutes alone but I will be right outside the window,” the champion of justice warned before he was heading to the slightly open window and climbing out.

Ignoring the bat, the crime boss strode to the bed; taking the chart on the end of the bed with shaking, gloved hands.  Green eyes scanned the pages, taking in the diagnosis as well as the meds she was on.  While her spine wasn’t broken, it  _ had _ been badly bruised.  She was on all kinds of anti-inflammatories as well as pain medication.  She had also been placed in a body brace to prevent any further injury.  She wouldn’t be able to move for a few days but she would make a full recovery.  Letting out a breath, he moved to the head of the bed; removing his gloves so he could take her left hand into his.

Eyes fluttering at the touch, Alicia licked her dry lips before coming to some form of wakefulness.  Due to her injury, she had been put under a form of sedation.  Just enough to keep her relaxed as well as a bit sleepy.  So, when she saw the blurry, clownlike face of Joker; she thought she was still asleep.  “Mmmm, Mr. J?” rasped out of her, her fingers tightening around a hand that felt very real.

“Shhh, told ya I’d come see ya every day.  Looks like you’ll be here for a bit my little bird,” murmured a gentle mid-tone that had no business coming out of a man that had killed so many.

“Your... cuts,” she managed, unfocused eyes moving to the clean gauze that was plastered on his cheeks.

“Don’t worry about them.  They’re being cared for and I won’t need the gauze soon.  I’ll probably have the stitches out before you’re allowed to leave,” came an assurance that helped get rid of a worry that had been nagging at her since she had been brought in.

Leaning so his lips brushed her forehead, he pulled up a chair to the side of her bed and made himself comfortable.  Despite what Batsy said, he had no plans to budge from this room unless he absolutely had to.  The night without her had been beyond hellish.  He had no idea how badly she had been hurt, if she had needed him.  Just the fact he couldn’t be by her side the entire time had torn him apart.  A fact he had taken out on his poor henchmen.  Many a throwing knife was tossed at a hapless thug.  He had been in denial for the longest time that he was worried for her.  It wasn’t until he leapt at the chance to allow  _ Batman _ to get him into the hospital that he had to accept the truth of things.  “You’ll be just fine,” husked out of him, a dark figure watching the pair from the window.

 

_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Day 4~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _

 

Staring at the ceiling while time seemed to crawl by, Alicia came to the conclusion that she was going to go nuts by the time she was discharged from the hospital.  Laying in bed, unable to even lift her head to watch the TV mounted in the far right corner of the room.  It was maddening.  The only time she got a visitor was when a nurse came in to check her medications.  Not even her family came to visit, being too far away to make the trip.  It would be a miracle if she didn’t go utterly stir crazy.  The only way she could entertain herself was to count the ceiling ‘popcorn’.  So far, she was up to 180.

A faint rustle to her left finally broke through the monotony, drawing her to turn her head.  While it was likely only the curtain moving in the breeze, it was still more to look at than tiny, raised spots in the paint above her.  So, when she saw the figure of Joker hunched on the window sill, she found herself wondering if she had finally snapped under all the strain.  A delusion was the only way she could think of explaining his impossible presence.  A delusion real enough to step in to her room and stride toward her bed with a smile on ruby lips.  A delusion that was able to reach out and touch her cheek with a cotton covered hand.  “How ya doin’ Caps?” murmured his soft mid-tone, making her marvel at just how far her brain was going with this.

“Seems like I’ve finally gone as bonkers as the man I’ve fallen in love with,” mumbled out of her, eyes meeting the ones her mind had likely conjured above her.

“Heh, I doubt that.  What makes you say such a thing anyway?  You seem perfectly and distressingly normal to me,” pointed out the figment, raising a brow while his grin stretched the stitches still present in his cheeks.

“Well, I’m hallucinating  _ you _ aren’t I?  There’s no way Joker could actually be here during the day.  The notion is too ludicrous, even for  _ him _ ,” came a fair argument, drawing a chuckle out of the villain.

“You underestimate just how crazy I am Alicia.  Unfortunately for both of us, my presence here is far too real.  Turns out I can’t concentrate when all my thoughts are tied up by you,” came a quiet confession, a strange glimmer in his green eyes.  Then he was bending, taking her lips in a gentle, almost caring kiss.

Eye widening, Alicia realized this was all real as soon as the scent of him flooded her nose.  She wanted to break the embrace to insist he leave.  That it wasn’t safe here for him.  That he would cause unnecessary mayhem and panic if he was found here.  Instead, when he licked her lips, she met his tongue with her own; wishing she could lean up into the embrace while her arms wrapped loosely around his neck.  “Mmmm, seems like you missed me too,” rumbled a gruff observation as he broke the kiss to smirk at her.

“Now, what was that about loving me?” he continued, his question freezing reality briefly while her eyes widened.

Staring up at the madman, fear filled her while her tongue flicked out reflexively to lick her cracked lips.  “I... um... I....,” she stammered, doing her best to read his expression and finding it less than useful.  He was smiling, an odd light burning in the backs of his usually dead eyes.  This could mean she was in deep shit or that he was actually happy.

“I... I love you,” she finally finished, biting her lower lip while she fought just to meet his eyes.  To her consternation, he simply grinned wider; showing off his teeth as he began to nod.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” he cooed out in a falsely saccharine voice, pressing his lips to her forehead like a mother would a sick child.

“Funny thing is, the feeling is mutual Caps,” came an admission she would have never expected in a million years.

“I know, surprises me too.  Yet, that’s the only conclusion I can reach after how worried I’ve been about you for the past couple days.  I can’t think of anything but you!  Makes work damn near impossible,” he continued in a good natured complaint, eyes still glimmering as he moved a chair so he could make himself comfortable.

“I have no idea when it happened either.  I was never supposed to get so... attached to you.  You were just supposed to be someone I could use.  Just another tool to get what I wanted,” Joker declared quietly, still grinning crookedly while meeting her eyes.

While she had suspected as much, it was still a bit disheartening to hear.  “Why are you telling me this?” whispered her soft, hurt voice.

“Because I’m through playing games with you.  I’m through playing with you like you were just another piece of trash to join all the other unremarkable people in being tossed into the darkness.  If we’re going to be partners, true partners; then I need to be straight with you,” growled an answer she could have never dreamed of.

Heart cramping in her chest while her vision wavered from the tears filling her eyes, the young lawyer leaned into the hand that came up to cup one of her cheeks.  “Now, Uncle Joker’s gotta split for a bit but I’ll be back later tonight.  If you hear an explosion off in the distance, just think of me babe,” the mass murderer purred, giving her one last kiss before he was getting to his feet and heading out the window.  All Alicia could do was watch, doing her best to keep the butterflies rising inside of her from getting out of control.

 

_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Day 6~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _

 

Yelling directions to the men as they proceeded to moves things into the remote house he had acquired, Joker couldn’t help but look down at his watch.  If things went well with her physical therapy, Alicia could be discharged today and he wanted things to be ready.  She would likely need a bit of help while she healed and he had wanted to give her a safe place to recover.  As much as he liked being near his men to oversee their activities, he realized a warehouse wouldn’t be an ideal place for a woman who would have to use a wheelchair for a while.  “Boss,” called a voice to his left, drawing his attention to Bob.

“Everything ready?” hissed out of him as he spun to face his number one guy.  Shifting from foot to foot, the henchman nodded while looking apprehensive.

“You sure this is a good idea boss?  She’ll need a lot of peace and quiet.  No offence, but your life is anything but,” the sandy haired thug pointed out, concern on his bearded face while he removed his dark sunglasses.

Huffing, the Clown Prince rolled his green eyes before grabbing the other man by both arms.  “I know she’s a friend of yours and I appreciate your concern for her but... this is  _ my _ business.  Besides, I have had more than enough time to run over this in my head several times.  While she may be better off with a nurse in her parent’s house, I don’t want her that far from me.  I’m fairly sure she feels the same.  Besides, isn’t it  _ your _ job to keep us safe?” he pointed out, baring his teeth in a clear show of aggression.  Yet, under that, there was deep terror.

“You’re right boss.  I’ll do my damnedest to protect this house and everyone in it,” Bob surrendered, a slight smirk on his face while the other man released him.

Every muscle in her back felt sore from the therapy but Alicia still found herself relieved by the fact she could feel anything below her neck at all.  She was well aware just how bad it could have been and she had used that to push through the grueling sessions that had started yesterday.  The only light of her day was when Joker visited.  While hearing about his activities usually horrified her, they took her mind off the hours of monotony she had just been through.  Still, some part of her wondering just what he was going to do about her being discharged today.

Last time he had been there, he had told he he was getting a little place all set up so he could take care of her.  While she appreciated the thought, her parents were likely going to pick her up before he could come to collect her.  Unless he sent Bob in his stead, of course.  Sitting on the bed she had been given, she stared at her door; waiting for someone to come through.  When she saw a sandy haired head poke around the entry as it opened, she felt her heart speed up.  “Come on, we gotta hurry.  Your folks are keeping the doctors busy,” he hissed, making adrenaline dump into her system.  A welcome feeling after the past few days of just laying in bed.

A few minutes later and they were sneaking out of a back entry, Alicia sparing a final glance at the hospital before getting into the non-descript car.  After this, there would likely be no way she would be able to come to the surface again.  Not without having a lot of explaining to do about where she was and why she had decided to disappear on the day she had been discharged from the hospital.  Though, after her very close call, she wasn’t too certain she wanted to go back to her job.  For the moment, all she wanted to do was relax and focus on getting better.  To allow Joker to take the reigns for a while.  Relaxing in the back seat of the vehicle, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes; letting the motion lure her into a light doze.

As he saw the car coming up the long driveway, he made his way down the stairs of the porch to wait; having long ago sent away his men.  He want this to be  _ their _ place.  A place where they could be alone, away from all the hubbub of the life he was building for himself.  A place where they could be themselves.  A place where she would be safe while she healed.  So, when the car pulled up and he opened the door to see she was asleep, he took it upon himself to carry her inside.  Something he was going to do anyway, even if she had been awake.  The action of carrying your partner over the threshold was a fairly symbolic one.

As soon as they were past the door, he was closing it; giving a clear signal to Bob he wanted to be alone.  Allowing his eyes to roam over her, he was displeased to see she had lost a fair bit of weight while in the hospital.  A fact he intended to rectify now that she was ‘home’.  Nuzzling into her soft hair, he felt himself relax for the first time in days while her scent filled his nostrils.  “I’ve missed you so much Caps.  More than I’ve ever missed anyone,” growled out him while he carried her up the stairs and toward the room they would be sharing.

Laying her in the bed, the Prince of Chaos watched her for a few moments; torn between continuing with his business or staying where he was.  In the end, he sat on the mattress; green eyes staying fixed on her figure while she slept.  As she rolled onto her stomach with a soft sigh, he couldn’t stop his gloved hands from lifting her shirt so he could look at the condition of her back.  While still bruised, it looked much better than it had the night he had saved her.  An action that still baffled him.  Before he had met her, doing anything to help anyone had been a completely foreign concept for him.  Let alone saving them from a beast he had sometimes considered a partner.  “You’re changing me.  Though, I can’t say I really mind,” husked out of him, a smirk curling his lips while he bent to kiss her temple.

 

_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A Few Hours Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _

 

A quiet voice was what ultimately woke her up, a soft yawn leaving her while she stretched.  While this twinged the still healing muscles in her spine, she relished the fact she could feel anything there at all.  Opening blue eyes, she blinked when she saw the purple clad figure of Joker pacing back and forth.  From the sound of it, he was arguing with one of his connections about the morality of some of the things the super villain had been up to.  A funny thing to be concerned about, given who they had decided to partner up with.  “Look, you knew what you were gettin’ into at the, uh, beginning and its too late to back out now.  If you don’t have it ready by this evening, heads will roll,” bit out a venomous promise before call was ended.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, the crime boss shifted his gaze until it landed on her.  “Ah, you’re awake!  Good!  I just made dinner,” he announced, acting as if this was a daily occurence.  Confused but deciding not to question it, she carefully sat up.  With a flourish, he set a laden tray across her lap.  On the plate was a bloody steak, a heap of buttery, mashed potatoes right beside it.  There was also a pile of peas as well as a healthy glass of milk to wash it all down.  Having subsisted on hospital food for a week, Alicia was more than grateful to see real sustenance before her.  With only a brief thank you, the starved female dug in with gusto; demolishing the whole plate within minutes.

Watching as she ate, Joker couldn’t help the small amount of satisfaction he felt at the fact  _ he _ had been the one to provide for her.  Taking a seat on the mattress, he removed the tray once she was finished; allowing him to lean in close.  Blushing slightly, the former lawyer leaned forward to take his lips with hers.  She was rewarded with a soft growl, a now bare hand coming up to tangle in chocolate colored locks.  An eager tongue lapped at her lips, entering her mouth as soon as she granted it.  Suddenly, it was all stopping; the green haired villain pulling away from her with a soft snarl.

Head lowered so his green hair shielded his face, his broad body shook while he seemed to struggle with himself.  “Mr. J?” she ventured, worry lacing her tone while she reached for him.

“Don’t... not right now,” hissed a plea mixed with a demand, effectively pausing her movement.

“I won’t be able to... stop myself,” he continued, head lifting slightly so wild eyes were meeting hers.

Knowing immediately what the problem was, she felt her heart squeeze from emotion while a soft smile curled her lips.  “Joker... the doctors cleared me for sexual activity.  Just as long as we aren’t planning on trying any straining positions,” whispered an assurance, the silent permission hanging in the air like a ripe pomegranate.  Next thing she knew, he was on her; lips covering hers while he was fighting to remove her clothes.  Fumbling fingers battled against stubborn buttons, reminding her of all the tales she had heard from her gal pals during highschools.  Tales about first times in cramped rear seats.

Deciding to show mercy, she brushed his hands out of the way to do it herself.  With a speed she hadn’t known she possessed, her hands were removing her clothes; exposing her to the cool air.  A soft, animalistic sound from above her drew her attention back to the psychopath above her.  At some point he had removed his shirt, revealing his hairless but toned pecs.  Reaching up to brush one of his erect nipples, she shuddered when he let out a growl of need in response.  Leaning into her touch, Joker’s eyes slid shut while his biceps tensed.  Biting her lower lip, Alicia gave the sensitive skin another brush; causing a man many feared to shudder violently.

It was almost like none had bothered to try to find out what he liked or even dared to give him pleasure before.  Ignoring the slight discomfort in her lower back, she leaned forward to lick his other nipple; relishing the soft moan from above her.  Just the fact he was allowing himself to be so vulnerable around her filled her with all sorts of emotions.  Emotions that wouldn’t be appropriate to show, given the atmosphere.  So, swallowing the tears crowding her throat, she simply gave the flesh in her mouth a careful suck.  Hands landed in her hair like delicate butterflies, soft sighs escaping the mass murderer.

Soon, she was on top of him; laying on his chest while he humps her slowly.  His leaking erection was rubbing against her right ass cheek due to the motion, making desire flare in her lower belly.  Reaching behind herself and ignoring the taught sensation in her back, Alicia positioned his uncut member at her eager entrance.  With a singular motion, he was inside; drawing a satisfied sound from the pair in unison.  Bare hands massaged the globes of her ass while he began a slow, frustrating rhythm.  Yet, moans from the pair were filling the room, sweaty foreheads resting against eachother while eyes met.

A fire built up between them, slowly, deliciously; building to something neither had felt before.  Lips melded while sweat poured, sighing pants mixing while tongues tangled.  Slick, sucking noises filled the air, punctuated by an occasional soft slap while the vocalizations became more desperate more poignant.  Feeling the beginnings of a very powerful orgasm, all she could do was hold on while the man above her tensed.  Then his hot semen was filling her, vision going white while she tipped into the abyss of pleasure.  It was only Joker’s body under her hands that anchored her, that kept her from flying out of this reality.

Rolling so she could lay on the mattress, the Clown Prince looked down at her.  This woman that he had claimed as his since she had stumbled into his life.  “How would you feel about working for me full time,” came an offer he hadn’t given to many.  Blue eyes met his, surprise and joy welling in their aqua depths.

“You’ll be protected and it’ll give ya something to do,” he continued, chuckling when she enveloped him in an enthusiastic hug.


End file.
